Council DBS checks criticised

Workforce brief holder Cllr Peter Wharf promised on Thursday to order another inquiry after hearing concerns that vulnerable adults and children might be put at risk by existing procedures.

Several councillors told him they were 'uncomfortable' with the existing arrangements which were criticised in a report.

The council's audit and governance committee heard that procedures for staff had already been tightened after lapses in the way checks were carried out – but the auditors said they remained concerned about the system for Disclosure and Barring Service checks for volunteers.

Said Cllr Cherry Brooks (Purbeck): “I'm quite uncomfortable about the whole process...it doesn't take many managers not to do what they are supposed to and we create a risk.”

The auditors had already uncovered several examples where managers had not ensured checks were carried out as well as cases where they said checks were not needed, when they were.

They suggested that a comprehensive list of all volunteer be drawn up and checked centrally. The existing system leaves the process to individual managers.

“Without maintaining a central record of volunteers, the authority is unable to ensure that a DBS check is undertaken in every appropriate instance prior to volunteer work commencing,” said the report.

One third of positions which required a check did not have them in one sample of just nine cases, and in four cases managers incorrectly believed a DBS check had already been undertaken.

Cllr Clare Sutton (Weymouth, Rodwell) said she had been shocked by the findings of the report: “We mustn't accept being told that there are processes in place to deal with this...

“We talked about this about two year ago and here we are being told of of these examples, after two reviews have taken place..it's far from a reassurance for me.”

Dorchester councillor Richard Biggs said, to him the system for volunteers appeared 'hit and miss'.

“We know how devious these individuals (abusers) are and how they can work their way into an organisation.

“I'm a bit concerned about saying 'we'll take the risk' over volunteers. I'm not comfortable with that.”

Appearing before the committee Cabinet member and brief holder for the workforce, Cllr Peter Wharf, initially argued that existing systems for volunteers was adequate, adding: “anything else is like taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut.”

But after hearing from several councillors said he would order a fresh look at how checks on volunteers are carried out – reporting back to the committee in January.

“I had been given a general reassurance but I'm now getting more uncomfortable. I'm happy to take it back and produce a short report,” said Cllr Wharf.

Said committee chairman Cllr David Harris: “We need some reassurance that those who work in an 'at risk' area can be identified and the risk mitigated.”

Cllr Ray Bryan (Moors) said he wanted to see volunteer checks tightened up from today: “It worried me tremendously. One case would be too much.”